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Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Los Zetas' grip on Zacatecas slips as fighting shifts to the cities

By Chris Covert
Rantburg.com

An anonymous correspondent living in Zacatecas state says that last weekend's shootings and gunfights in Zacatecas municipality were the worst violence so far, and that armed confrontations between Los Zetas and their principle rivals the Sinaloa cartel has shifted to the cities.

Monday morning, two men were found shot to death in Zacatecas city, the capital of Zacatecas state. News accounts posted on the websites of El Sol de Zacatecas and NTR Zacatecas simply reported the discovery of the victims on Calle Aldama in Guadalupe colony of the city.

The victims were found dead aboard a Nissan Versa SUV. They were identified as Martin Hilario Barajas, of Sain Alto, and Joel de Jesus Castro Miranda, from Fresnillo.

A 9mm pistol and an AK-47 rifle were found at the scene.

The anonymous source said that Monday morning's shooting was "not an isolated situation, there have been more smaller ones in different areas and several executions and shootings between police and cartel members lately.

"The shooting last night happened all around the city but it wasn't until 2-3 am that I heard them in the historic center; I heard it from home 2 long rafagas (bursts?) with a few minutes between them and later more but further away, this morning I read that 2 bodies had been found inside a car just by the laberinto downtown market."

Later that afternoon in Guadalupe municipality just southeast of Zacatecas municipality one armed suspect was killed and another was wounded in an encounter with municipal police agents near the village of Tacoaleche. Police agents were dispatched to the scene on a report of a stolen vehicle and were fired on.

The news account of that incident reported on a separate article which appeared on the website of El Sol de Zacatecas said that a police helicopter was dispatched the the area along with a state police contingent.

"... sending even the helicopter seems to mean it was much more than some bad guys
who had stolen a car."

The correspondent confirmed a separate helicopter overflight Monday morning in Zacatecas: "...there have been helicopters flying around up until a couple of hours ago."

The reporting in Zacatecas local press seem to treat the shooting deaths as isolated incident which the correspondent disputes:

"... it wasn't just your usual quickie 4 bullets and off we go."

"This is definitely not like Tamaulipas or la comarca lagunera but it has become quite violent and very quickly as CDG/CDS (Gulf and Sinaloa cartels) started kicking out the zetas and the areas in dispute moved from the mountains to the main cities."

Two women were found tortured and beaten to death in Enrique Estrada municipality last Saturday. The report which appeared in several Zacatecas news outlets reported the discovery, but failed to report one salient fact:

"...they could be part of a group of women kidnapped the night before in Zacatecas while waiting to go to a concert," said the correspondent.

An uptick of violence appears to have started against women in Zacatecas state in the last 60 days. Zacatecas Procuraduria General de Justicia del Estado or attorney general Arturo Nahle Garcia has so far dismissed any comparison to the mass killings of women that took place in Ciudad Juarez in Chihuahua state, but which mysteriously ended two years ago.

Special Thanks to our Zacatecas correspondent for the updatesBorderland Beat reporter Chivis Martinez contributed to this story.

Chris Covert writes Mexican Drug War and national political news for Rantburg.com

The stratfor theory about the zetas wanting to take over jalisco was over when z50 switch aliance to cdg he control the towns nearing jalisco its a lost battle for the zetas that where left there to die under z40 orders.z50 cds coss cdg vs zetas that taliban group has been a headache for z40 they took away xacatecas coahuila and a strong precense in nuevo laredo home town of z50 this war is getting pretty interisting. Z40 is getting a beat down in nuevo laredo that he had to get his top kaibil from guatemala el Z200 to take care of his plaza.

I remember back in 2006 when the Zetas started coming to Zacatecas. It was just like what you hear now. If weren't Z and you didn't want to joint them, you were as good as dead. I remember "old" narcos around the Tayahua, Tabasco and Villanueva region being shot at their own house. These were people that did not mess with innocent people but everything changed after the Zetas came. I remember being stopped by them and getting hit with a cuerno de chivo just for driving a nice car. No questions or anything, after a few mins they knew I was not a contra and let me go. I remember one of the last "old" narcos still standing back then got about 20 sicarios to guard his house... they all ended up dead and he ended up castrated and decapitated.... nobody else around the area stood up to los Zetas after that. Now it's coming back around and will catch up to them! If you ask me, I would rather see C.D.S. if I had to chose between the Zetas and Chapos. I know they all can't disappear so I'm just going by experience.

Z40 will never be as smart or have the staying power as chapo.not a cheerleader i cant stand any of them just saying based of of the information out there on them.z40 will probably be dead before hes chapos age.lazcana was.40 dont seem to think before he acts chapo does thats how hes made it as far as he has

Word up bro they got up to my region of zacatecas Wich is north bordering durango back in 07-08 an yea they were after all the independent old school narcos in the area but aftered they settled nothing bad really happned

they(females) wanna get in the mix of the war,then what do they expect not to be touched when the shit goes down..women aint got no biz in this war,and then ppl wonder why they are ending up dead...but then again they are easily influenced..

the zetas are running up to hide in the mountains when cds comes into town...most of the farmers that sold to the zetas "areglaron" with CDs and are now selling to them...in my small town CDS leaves the small stores liters of mezqal to sale and other whole sole goods to help small store owners and turn profit at the same time..the family celebrations are a little quieter/safer now that the Z's are gone..this is just speaking on my town of Jimenez. so maybe the zs are getting run out...

well Z-50 controlled zacatecas so who ever was under his command became CDG/CDS. only the faithful Zetas that didnt jump are the ones being chased and killed. for some reason i think that there are a number of zetas in zacatecas that are keep it low key waiting to attack the CDG/CDS after they see who is with them.

Nobody said that taliban runs nuevo laredo i said he has a strong presence there he still has people loyal to him doesnt mean that talibans plaxa and as for coahuila is not a zeta stronghold nomore no more apoyo from los moreira in that estado they are green lighted i agree with you about tamaulipas no argument there

No respect for anybody if they cook or kill kids.it dont matter what their father did.men who do that probably have small genitalia and a complex about it.if they are pissed at the dad thats one thing go and get him but leave the children alone.these narcos have no values

Joel de Jesus Miranda Castro R.I.P D.E.PCondolences to you brother,i don't know what i would do if i had to live without my brother.Condolence's to you and your dearest.Stay strong dude for your mum and family

My deepest sympathy for u.i cannot even imagine what that would be like but rest assured god will punish those responsible.vengeance is mine sayeth the lord they will not get a free pass on what they do

In the future they will have to fight hard to maintain control and that fight will be CDS with CDG. Both have attempted to gain key cities and failed in the past but that was separately, together it will be more of a fight.....Paz, Chivis

the 2 dead guys, RIP, one was a university student, the other one was a nurse, word is they were just caught in the cross fire and later weapons left in them to avoid the bad propaganda of 2 innocents being killed right in the city center just a few days before the main touristic event of the year

I just got back from sombrerete zacatecas today were c.d.s controls now and everyone i talked to over is happy that they control sombrerete, jimenez, and chalchihuites. I went to two family weddings and one dance in another and they will pick up whoever Is fighting or shooting a gun which people feel safer with them Than the police the actual Truth. So i suggest to all yall that say yall are tired of the c.d.s and c.d.g been Cheerleader yall shut the fuck up because things are better off like this i seen them driving around alot and at the weddings and people actually feel safe and protected than with los zetas. They pick up people who talk to much also Or are fighters are parties i have cousins and friends who were picked up and tortured in la sierra de durango for having weapons and drugs. Now they take it easy and respect these cartels.

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